UIS graduate student receives ILMA scholarship

SPRINGFIELD – Joseph Bartletti, a graduate student in the Biology program at
the University of Illinois at Springfield, has been awarded a $1,000
scholarship from the Illinois Lake Management Association. Bartletti is one of
two recipients this year and will be presented with his award at the ILMA
annual conference, to be held April 3-5 in Bloomington.

In addition to receiving his award,
Bartletti will deliver an address titled “Nitrogen Dynamics of Two Illinois
River Floodplains.”

The
ILMA awards are competitive and are made on the basis of several factors
including the student’s academic achievement, career goals, and special
interests. Bartletti will use the scholarship to continue work on his master’s
thesis involving research into nitrogen levels in floodplain wetlands along the
Illinois River.

Bartletti’s graduate adviser at UIS, Assistant Professor
of Biology Michael Lemke, noted, “I give Joe a lot of credit for the idea he
came up with for his master’s thesis, which involves trying to understand a
paradox that embraces different forms of nitrogen, land use practices, large
river ecology, and microbial processes.

“The paradox is that while a reduced form of nitrogen
(ammonia) is routinely applied to crops in the area, oxidized nitrogen
(nitrates) are very high in our river systems,” Lemke explained. “Joe has
connected the high amount of sedimentation that results from flooding and
devised an experiment for testing transformation. It is a simple, eloquent
design and implications could be applied on a landscape level. It is very
original work.”

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Bartletti plans to work with Lemke and his thesis committee
to publish any significant results of his research in scientific journals.

“I am interested in any issue related to water and water
quality,” he said. “In addition, I’m an avid outdoorsperson and enjoy many
different aspects of our natural resources. I support conservation and
restoration of our natural water ecosystems so that future generations will be
able to enjoy their diversity and beauty as well.”

During the course of his studies at UIS, Bartletti has
accompanied Lemke to Brazil where they collaborated with researchers from the
University of Maringa to study floodplain systems of the Parana River.He maintains a 3.5 GPA and currently serves
as the Biology program’s graduate research assistant. After graduation from
UIS, he hopes to pursue doctoral studies and a career focusing on aquatic
ecology and biogeochemistry.

UIS’ Biology program offers the bachelor of science and
master of science degrees as well as an undergraduate minor. The programs are
designed to prepare students for many career options.

Illinois has an estimated 84,000 reservoirs, many
threatened by excessive weed and algae growth, turbid water, sedimentation, and
bacterial or toxic contamination. The Illinois Lake Management Association was
formed in 1985 by a group of homeowners, concerned citizens, lake associations,
and environmental professionals with the mission of promoting understanding and
comprehensive management of the state’s lake and watershed ecosystems.